


Maybe football isn't so bad after all

by little_dhampir



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Football, M/M, Merlin Ships Fest, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-14
Updated: 2014-07-14
Packaged: 2018-02-08 18:45:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1952091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_dhampir/pseuds/little_dhampir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin is no Football fan, still his friends bring him along to a Open Air Football Party to see the finale match in the World Championship. Maybe meeting Arthur will change his mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Maybe football isn't so bad after all

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written for the Merlin Ships Fest on tumblr. It is also unbetad, so every mistake is my own.

Merlin hated football. He actually hated most kinds of physical exercise. Sport was just something he had never been good at or even interested in. He preferred art over sweating his ass off; he had been a walking cliché in high school; the gay, books loving nerd.

But his friends insisted on him coming along to the open air football party, claiming they needed some buddy time. Merlin didn’t even know what that meant, he only agreed because Gwen had this pleading look on her face and he knew that she was right. Taking over Uncle Gaius Bookshop had been more work than he had anticipated, meaning he didn’t spend much time with his friends lately.

This is why he found himself spending his Sunday night at Lance’s place instead of at home in his bed alone. Lance was Gwen fiancé who also happened to have a big garden, which is why he understood Gwen’s need to move out of their flat share to live with Lance. If only looking for a new roommate wouldn’t be so time consuming.

The party actually started of rather nice. There were a lot more people than Merlin had expected meaning he had soon lost the few people he actually knew in the crowd. They were all looking for some prospective celebration shag if their team won. Merlin didn’t get the fuss; their own country wasn’t even in the contest any longer.

The alcohol was flowing so freely Merlin didn’t think a lot of the guest would be able to actually watch the football world championship. Was he the only person who had to actually go to work tomorrow? He didn’t even want to know how many people will have to call in sick in the morning. As long as Elena and Freya wouldn’t do it.

Merlin was just talking to some black haired woman, trying to decide when the best moment would be to tell her that he was gay, and therefore not going to be her celebration shag, when somebody bumped into him.

“Sorry man, hope you didn’t spill your drink,” Merlin heard a male voice say just as he turned around.

The guy was gorgeous; golden hair, blue eyes, sun-kissed skin and a wide, slightly crooked smile. And that was only his face! He had wide shoulders and his arms! Merlin felt as if his wet dreams came true. Better than the football players on TV, the only thing he found slightly interesting at this whole party.

“No problem, didn’t have a drink anyway,” Merlin managed to tell the handsome stranger.

“We should definitely change that! Hope you won’t mind Morgana,” he answered. He apparently knew the woman Merlin had been talking to.

“Come on, let’s find the kitchen,” he urged Merlin along.

A few minutes and surprisingly easy small talk later, Merlin and Arthur, they both had laughed when telling each other their names, entered the kitchen.

“Want some beer?” Arthur opened the fridge and got one for himself.

“Actually I shouldn’t drink anything with alcohol in it. Early day tomorrow. But I’ll take a coke.”

Arthur took another look at the drinks in the fridge. 

“Here,” he said when he found the coke. “So what are you doing for a living that requires you to get there early tomorrow?”

“I just took over my uncle’s bookshop and I can’t expect my co-workers to start on time when I don’t.” 

“Fair enough, I work for my father’s company, so I should be on time too,” Arthur smiled and took a gulp. 

That smile really did funny things to Merlin’s stomach. He turned around to look at the clock. The game would start soon. Too soon. He would have really enjoyed it to talk more to Arthur.

“Only 15 minutes to go. So what team are you supporting tonight?” Arthur asked after following Merlin’s glance at the clock.

“Actually I’m not really into football. Or any other sport. I don’t even know who is playing in the finale,” Merlin confessed embarrassed. He felt himself blushing. “I am only here because my friends dragged me alone. They thought we haven’t seen each other much lately, so I should join them. But most of them ditched me to celebrate and shag somebody.” Shit, he was babbling. Arthur surely thought he was an idiot now.

Instead of looking irritated, Arthur just started to laugh.

“You are one in a kind Merlin. I happen to love football; I even play myself on the weekend, that’s how I know Lance. So you should just cheer for my team.”

Before Merlin could answer, the black haired woman, Arthur had called her Morgana, took a look inside the kitchen.

“You should start to make your way towards the garden brother dear. Unless you want to have no good seat left in front of the screen when the game starts.” She left.

“She is right, we should go. And while we wait we can go over the rules, so you will know what is going on.” Another Arthur smile. They only met an hour ago and Merlin already thought about that crooked smile as Arthur smile. He was so fucked.

“I know the rules!” Merlin pointed out while making his way through the living room on their way to the garden. “I just prefer books.”

Sure enough there weren’t many good seats left. Arthur found a spot and dragged Merlin along. 

“So what is your favourite book then? Or genre?” Arthur continued once they sat down. He took a handful of popcorn out of the bowl they had grabbed on their way to the seats.

“That would take way more time to answer then we have.” Merlin replied.

“Maybe we should meet again then, so we’ll have more time to talk about it,” Arthur answered just as somebody shouted: “The game starts in a few!”

Merlin smiled and agreed. He gave Arthur his number before the next shout proclaimed the beginning of the match. Merlin did indeed cheer for Arthur’s team.

 

Lying in his bed later that night Merlin smiled. He and Arthur had made plans to meet for lunch the next day. Just thinking about it Merlin got excited. Maybe football wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
